New Ulm weekly review., 1887-08-24

steps, wringing his hand 8 as he came.
What was it that struck Mr.. JeniferH
as 50 well known to him? hat was.
at that filled him with a sudden hor-
Tor, and sent the blood back to his.
heart9 All the tales Of ghosts and
haunting noises at which he had
scoffed SO lately recurred to his mind,
and yet there was moi thing unearthly
In the aspect Of the man who was APP
preaching him. And now they two
stood face to face, and Clement Jenifer
saw that this--he knew not what to
call lt-bOre the face which he himself
had borne twenty years ago, and he
knew though how he conld not tell
that he was standing face to face with
the ghost Of his own dead past.
Then ensued conversation
strange, unnatural l between these.
two. who still were one; but whether
the words were uttered on the evening
air, or whether the knowledge Of what
was in the mind of each was mutual
to both, it were hard TO say.
why do haunt your" said this
this double OF himself, gazing on him
with reproachful eyes. do not muir
dered victims haunt their slayers,
and have not you murdered that
which was the. best part OF me?
Where are the promises Of your young
days? Where are the aspirations,
the desires after a higher life, the
noble purpose with which my soul
was filled? Dead dead and buried
beneath a crust OF selfshness!'
f Youthful follies,' answered Je1lifer;
egone the way OF all such early fancies.
Why do you prosecute me? Have ]
stolen, or murdered, or lived unclean-
,ly? Have not kept to my work and
done it thoroughly, distasteful as it
1872"
''It is true,'' said the other, .sthe.
commandments you have not broken;
but where are the hearts you have.
helped to bind up? How many have
you helped by your example? Rather,
have you not by daily carelessness,
by dryness OF spirit, by perfunctory
performance Of your duty, quencked
the light that was, aye, God knows it
was in me? And in doing so you
have wounded many another. There
are sinners who slay the body, but
you have slain your own soul; and
woe be to him OF whom this can be
said"
Jenefer laughed in scorn.
"When | was what you are all this
would have had its terrors for me;
now am not to be frightened with
false fire. Iknow what you are, who
think to scare me thus-an illusion of
the brain, disturbance in the nerv->
Gus system. Come daylight, and t.his
will be AS if it had never been"
But the other with the sad and
youthful eyes looked at him in sor-
row, and said:
Gwen in your blindness you speak
the truth; for when you were as am,
ere the world had dimmed your sight
you would have seen the precipice on
which you stand. Oh, brother OF me,
though how degraded! give up yonr
dreams OF a selfish future; turn back
while yet you may; use the wealth
that has come to you, not for your
self only, but for others. Redeem the
time that is left to you, and bring to
happier second life the promises,
the aspirations ofyour YOUTH
"Begoner' said Jenifer. eff not an
illusion, then you are an accomplic7
In some conspiracy to betray me into
a rash vow. Did you and the old
man who is in his grave plan it be-.
tween you and laugh to think how
you would scare your foolish dupe?
Away from me! and do not hope to
work your will. / have inherited, and
will enioY!"
"Nay," then. said his DOUBLE" see
towhat an end your enjoyment shall
bring you. |. whom youhave destroy
ed, am what you were; see now what
you shall be-
Then for an awful moment the par.
son knew that not only he himself
stood there with the spirit of his once
pure and earnest-hearted youth beside
him but a third and dreadful shape
himself as he should be, if no hand OF
grace staid his downward course.
The lightning flash Of awakened per-
ceptlon showed him his own old age,
where that which he had called econo-
my had grown to averice, where callous-
ness had become cruelty-discontent
envy lmplety. He saw
himself, degraded, mean, despicable,
bad, without affections, without ten
derness, without hope, and as the
horror OF it swept over him with resist
less force, Clement Jenifer-the icy
crust Of years OF life for self broken at
last-fell upon his face, with the agon.
lied cry Of the apostle OF old, :.Who
shall deliver me from the body OF
this death?'
When he came to himself he was in
the quaint old sitting room in his new
home. The fire had burned low, and
only .dimly illumined theroom, but as
he .gazed into the glowing enbers a
hitherto unkindled log broke into
flames as it leaped and fickerej
the scroll which he had before remark
ed and failed to decipher caught and
threw back the yellow light, and Mr..
Jenifer read in letters OF gold thr
poets words
| .Nor deem the irrevocable past
AS wholly wasted, wholly vain,